Services And Privacy: A Good Mix

A view of buildings in the distance as Apple takes a shot at rivals such as Google on the data privacy front at the major Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, on January 6, 2019, with a message on the side of a hotel playing off Sin City, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas'. (Photo by Glenn CHAPMAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read GLENN CHAPMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Few things are more important for a successful services strategy than the public’s perception of privacy, especially for health and financial data, but such an analysis can be extended to anything, be it gaming, payment or social networks: heightened perceptions about privacy mean it is more than possible to design services in a viable way based on the premise of respect for users’ data, with a renewed perspective that emphasizes that the information we share with a platform will not be collected, analyzed and sold to the highest bidder.

Such a strategy could allow Apple to increase its competitiveness not just from a purely technological angle, but from one of customer preferences: Google, Amazon or any other company can design similar information management platforms to Apple’s, but it would be much more difficult to convince users that their information is not going to be shared with anyone and is not an implicit part of the business model that the user accepted when signing terms of service without understanding them. In this sense, Apple’s approach is much clearer, simpler and direct, as shown by the emphasis the company has been making about it for some time.

Anyone can offer services, but not necessarily with a cast-iron guarantee of privacy. This approach makes it very clear that users have choices: to hand their data over to companies that will monetize it as a form of payment for a service, or simply pay Apple and get a guarantee of privacy in return.

At a time when we are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of privacy, Apple’s strategy of linking services with confidentiality could give it a serious competitive advantage, especially as we look toward a more regulated future. Services and privacy are the ideal ingredients for a value proposition that stands out from the competition and point to a more optimistic future.